Archery range with movable target



2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed Feb. 7; 1949 A it INVENTOR. WILBUR R. KELLER 2it, m &

ATTORNEY Feb. 26, 1952 w. R. KELLER 2,586,958

ARCHERY RANGE WITH MOVABLE TARGET Filed Feb. 7, 1949 2 SHEETS--SHEET 2FE 5*? F? 1 4 INVENTOR.

27A QWILBUR R. KELLER BY A49 9 ATTO RNEY Patented Feb. 26, 1952 UNI TE DS TATE-S -'PAT'EN T O FF ICE 2,586,958 .ARCHERYJRANGE wrrn MOVABLETARGET 'Wilbur'Roscoe Keller, Portland, 'Oreg. ApplicationFebrum-y 7, 1949, seriall -tanner This invention relates to archery ranges and isparticularly adapted for practice ranges.

The primary object of this invention is to be able to control theposition of the target relative to distance from the shooting station bythe archer from the said shooting station.

Another object of the invention is to provide an archery range that canbe operated under all weather conditions either day or night.

A further object of this invention is to design an archery range thatcan be located in a minimum of space at a minimum of cost.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an archery rangewherein the archers are located under cover in a building and never haveto leave this covering in their practice shooting.

Another object of the-invention is to design a target that will catchthe major portion of the arrows for returning them to the archer.

And another object of the invention is simple operating and controlmechanism for moving the target on the range that can be operated by thearcher from the shooting station with'a minimum amount of efifort. Meansbeing incorporated in the operating mechanism for automatically.positioning the target relative to distance from the shooting station.

These and other incidental objects will be apparent in the drawings,specification and claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my new and improved archery range.

Figure 2 is aside view of the target, partially in section.

Figure 3 is a rear view of the target, taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail plan view looking down on the archersstation position, illustrating the control switches together with theyardage indicators.

Figure 5 illustrates the archers control position within the building.

Figure 6 illustrates a plan view of the mechanism for controlling theposition of the target.

Figure 7 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken on line 1-4 of Figure 6looking :in the direction indicated illustrating the electric switchesand the mechanism for controlling their operation.

Figure 8 is a side sectional view taken on line -88 of Figure 6illustrating the operating mechanism. .In this view .a fragmentaryportion of thexftarget and carriage are indicated.

Figure 9 is an enlarged detail sectional view i the target at IT.

'z'clshns. roman-19 5.5.)

of one of the control switches shown in open position.

Figure 10 is an enlarged detail sectional 'view of thesame-switchshown-in closed position.

Figure 11 is a 'diagrammatical wiring layout of the electric controlsystem and the mechanism for operating the target.

Referring more specifically to the drawings:

Referring to Figure l, my invention consists of providing a building 1!,hereinafter known as the shooting station. Extending from the buildingare tracks 2,, -3 and 4 having targets 5, 6 and '1 running thereon.These targets consist of frames 8 mounted upon wheels 9, which areadapted to run on the tracks M. The track l0 maybe made from angle ironor any other form of material providing a track :for the target to runon.

The targets are moved. along the tracks by a cable H which has one ofits ends wound about the drum |,3,, then trained about the pulley l4 andsecured to the carriage of the target at l5. Another cable 16 is trainedabout the drum l3 and secured to the carriage 8 of The operation of thisdrum will be later described.

The target itself consists of a cone shaped shield l8, which is mountedto the frame l9 of the carriage 8 by any suitable fastening means.located within this cone-shaped drum is the target butt 20, which isremovable from the drum 18. Extending down from the .drum is an apron 2|to which the cable 16 may be secured. This apron directs the arrows:from low shots up-into the target so that-they maybe retrieved.

Referring back to the mechanism for operating the movement of thetargets, the drum [3 mounted upon a base '22 by suitable bearings 23. .Athreaded shaft 24 runs parallel to the drum :and is journalled inbearings 25, which in turn are mounted to the base 22. Cable guides 25and 26A are threadably mounted to the threaded shaft 24. These guidesare threaded along the shaft '24 guiding the cable on the drum l3 duringthe operation of the drum. The shaft 24 is driven from the motor 21 and21A by the driving belt 28 which drives the shaft 24 through the pulley29, the shaft 24 in turn driving the drum I3 by the chain 30. The cableguides 26A extends upwardly at 3| and is adapted to operate the switchassemblies 32 and 33.

I will now describe these switches. They may consist of a standardswitch 34 usually known as a micro switch. The switch 34 pivotallymounted at 35 having its operating plunger 36 resting on the framework31 of the switch assembly. The switch is further held in the positionillustrated in Figure 9 by the spring 52. When the switch is in thisposition it is in open position. Forming part of and extending upwardlyis an operating button 38 extending through the opening 39 in the coverplate 40 located above the reeling mechanism.

I will now describe the operation of moving the target from the shootingstation as indicated by the target 6, Figure 1, to one of the positionsillustrated by the targets and '1. Referring to the diagrammaticallayout and to Figures 4, 5 and 10, the yardage that itis intendedto'move the target from the shooting station is observed, and the pushbutton relating to the switch associated with this distance is broughtdown by the archer to the position shown in Figure 10. This will closean electric circuit through the selected switch, which delivers energyfrom the line supply 4| through the selected switch, as for instance theswitch 42. Current will flow-into the conductor 43 from this switchthrough the magnetic switch 44, closing the switch bar 45 energizing thmotor 21, which will drive the belt 28 rotating the threaded shaft 24and the drum 13 in a direction to wind the cable H, and unwind the cable16. This will move the target out on the track and at the same time movethe cable guides 25 and 26A in the direction of the arrow.

It will be noted in Figure that the switch 34 is being held down by thetrigger 46. When the cable guide 26A reaches the trigger 46 it will tripthe same allowing the switch 24 to assume the position shown in Figure 9breaking the electric circuit through the motor 21, stopping therotation of the drum l3.

When it is desired to retrieve the target to the shooting station theswitch 33 is closed by the archer which closes an electric circuitthrough this switch from the line 41, conductor 41, magnetic switch unit48, closing the switch bar 49, delivering energy through the motor 21Aback to the main line 50. This will revolve the threaded shaft 24 andthe drum (3 in the opposite direction, pulling in the'cable l6 andunwinding the cable ll moving the target to the point indicated bythetarget B in Figure 1.

When the point 3| of the cable guide 26A reaches the trigger 5! of theswitch 33, it will permit the switch 34 within the switch to assume theposition shown in Figure 9, breaking the electric circuit through themotor 21A and stopping the operating mechanism.

The motor 27 runs in the opposite direction to the motor 21A, the motor21' moves the target out on the range while the motor 21A returns thetarget to the shooting station.

Although certain specific embodiments of the invention have been shownand described, it is obvious that many modifications thereof arepossible. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except in sofar as is necessitated by the prior art and by the spirit of theappended claims.

WhatIclaim is:

1. A target range, comprising a shooting station, a track extending fromsaid shooting station, a mobile carriage mounted on said track formovement relative to said shooting station; an archery target supportedby said carriage and facing said shooting station, said archery targetincluding a conical guide surrounding'a matted pad, the bottom of theconical guide being in- 7 Number clined and extended forwardly of theconical guide and on the track to provide an apron to collect arrowsfalling from the conical guide, means for selectively moving saidcarriage along said track to and from said shooting station, including adrum, a cable attached to the rear of the carriage and trained over apulley at one end of the carriage and extended forwardly to and aroundthe drum and its opposite end secured to the front of the carriage,means for rotating the drum in one direction and reversing the drum inthe opposite direction, including a series of switches to set the meansfor rotating the drum to position the target different distances fromthe shooting station, and a switch to reverse the movement of the drumto return the carriage to the shooting station.

2. A target range, comprising a shooting station, a track extending fromsaid shooting station, a mobile carriage mounted on said track formovement relative to said shooting station, an archery target supportedby said carriage and facing said shooting station, said archery targetincluding a conical guide surrounding a matted pad, the bottom of theconical guide being inclined and extended forwardly of the conical guideand on the track to provide an apron to collect arrows falling from theconical guide, means for selectively moving said carriage along saidtrack to and from said shooting station, including a drum, a cableattached-to the rear of the carriage and trained over a pulley at oneend of the carriage and extended forwardly to and around the drum andits opposite end secured to the front of the carriage," a screw adjacentto and parallel with the drum, a guide below the screw, a pair ofspaced-apart nuts on the screw through which the cable extends, thelower ends of the nuts fitting in the guide, a pulley on the screw, apulley on the drum, a chain trained around said pulleys, a motor tooperate the drum in one direction and rotate the screw to spread thecable over the drum, a second motor to operate the drum and screw in theF opposite direction and spread the cable over the drum, a series ofswitches to operate the firstmentioned motor, said switches havingdependent triggers in the path of one of the nuts on the screw torelease a set switch, electric circuits between the said series ofswitches and the firstmentioned motor, a reverse switch having a triggerwhich is in the path of movement of the nut which cooperates with thefirst-mentioned series of switches, and electric circuits between thesecond-mentioned motor and the reverse switch to retract the carriage tothe shooting station.

WILBUR. ROSCOE KELLER.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Thompson May 14, 1918Dixon Jan. 16, 1923 Larsen Aug. 4, 1931 Schwerin Jan. 4, 1938 PearsonDec. 15, 1942 Marlow June 15, 1943 McAvoy Mar. 21, 1944 Lohr Sept. 9,1947 Tornberg Feb. 15, 1949

